


One Foot In Front of the Other

by robinasnyder



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Spoilers for Episode: 209e11 First Born, Spoilers for Episode: s09e10 Road Trip
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-17
Updated: 2014-01-24
Packaged: 2018-01-09 01:20:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1139749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinasnyder/pseuds/robinasnyder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Abner is ecstatic to have Gadreel back, alive and whole if very, very troubled. Before Abner can settle in to even having Gadreel back a human and an angel break in an kidnap Gadreel.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [scher](https://archiveofourown.org/users/scher/gifts).



Abner had decided that he just wasn’t a good angel. He liked helping people, but he didn’t like Heaven’s strict hierarchy. He liked being human. He liked being married. He liked soothing the look of fear in Natalie’s eyes when she remembered the old Alexander Sarver and the man she’d tried to protect her daughter from. Some days he thought maybe she knew he wasn’t her husband. But she never said. He liked her. He was coming to love her. He already loved Delilah. He’d never been able to help anything truly grow, not like his Garden, not like his baby girl.

And he had to set all of that aside for his friend. 

Gadreel was troubled. He’d always been troubled. Abner knew why he’d been sent to Heaven’s dungeons and he’d made peace with that. He’d never made peace with the pain they’d been caused, especially Gadreel. Lucifer was one of the most bewitching and well loved angels in all of heaven. Standing aside to allow him in would have seemed like nothing to Gadreel. Abner understood why Michael had been willing to pin everything on Gadreel, but that never made it right. 

That didn’t make what Thaddeus and the others did to them alright. But what was done to them also didn’t make Gadreel killing Thaddeus right. 

But that didn’t matter, not immediately. Because Gadreel had been taken. Gadreel and Abner and been drinking tea when Abner heard something and went to check. He’d been hit with the blunt edge of an angel blade. He’d watched Gadreel being dragged out of the house by an angel and a human. 

He left a note for Natalie and Delilah when they got home say thing his friend was in trouble and he had to go get him. He doesn’t say he’ll be back because he doesn’t know if he will be. The angels have fallen and Abner had really no interest in being an angel. But Gadreel needed him to be one for a little while longer anyway. 

Abner took the car, searching for grace like what he recognized. It was just his bad luck that he got waylaid by demons. 

“Where are you headed, angel boy?” a demon asked. 

“I’m on a mission from God,” Abner said darkly. Alexander had really, really liked movies and Abner had all of those plots and quotes in his mind now. 

“This one’s a joker,” one demon said, smirking. “Don’t you know daddy’s gone.” 

“I’m aware,” Abner said. 

“What’s the hold up?” Another demon asked, sticking her head out of the car. Abner knew she was much, much more powerful than the others, though he’d been locked up too tight to know what she was on sight. 

“An angel, on a mission,” the demon said who’d been questioning him. 

“We don’t have time for this,” the red haired demon said. 

“You’re looking for someone?” Abner asked. 

“Are you?” the red haired demon asked, getting out of the car and walking over to him. She grabbed his neck, but he knew he was far more powerful than her, so he barely blinked. 

“I asked you first,” Abner said calmly. 

“That hardly matters,” the demon said. “Have you seen an angel, a human and a demon together?” 

“I don’t know about a demon, but I saw an angel and a human,” he said. His eyes narrowed a bit. 

“What did they look like?” one of the demons not holding him up by his throat demanded. 

“Tall,” Abner said. “The human had brown hair, a white male in his mid thirties. He wore denim and clothes that could be found at a thrift store. The angel was a little shorter, much darker brown hair, also a white male. He wore a trench coat, but his grace was wrong. He felt like two different angels.” 

“Dean Winchester and Castiel,” the re haired demon purred. “Are you hunting them?” 

“They took my friend,” Abner said. 

“How far are you willing to go for this friend?” the demon asked. 

“I would die for him,” Abner said. “And worse, I would kill for him.” He said fire inside him. Gadreel had enough being locked up, enough torture. He wouldn’t allow this to happen to him again. 

“Then it appears we are on the same side,” the red haired demon said. “If you will swear to help me kill the human, angel and the demon they travel with, then I will help you rescue your friend. Do we have a deal?” 

“What’s your name?” Abner asked. 

“Abaddon,” she said with a vicious smirk. 

“I accept your terms, Abaddon,” Abner said. 

“One of you get in the car with him. We’re going hunting,” Abaddon said with a broad smile. 

A demon climbed in the car with Abner. Abner shrugged and turned the radio back on to NPR. The demon did not look amused. About fifteen minutes of driving and the demon started to complain. 

“Seriously, angel? This is what you’re going to play?” 

“My name is Abner,” he responded. “And it’s least likely for the signal to fade, and I like to know what humans are talking about. It’s interesting and easier to blend in.” 

The demon sneered. “How long do you think you will blend in once we have control?” 

“See,” Abner said with a pleasant smile. “That’s always been the problem with you demons: You inherited Lucifer’s megalomaniac tendencies.” 

“You think you will defeat us? There are far more of us,” the demon hissed. 

“But you are much, much weaker,” Abner said. “And afraid for your own skins. No, don’t take that as a slap, all of us are to some extent. You could, possibly, maybe, overwhelm all of heaven. Not now. We’re all ready for a fight. We’re tearing each other apart. You think anyone who gets between us is going to have anything happen to them but utter annihilation. I’ll tell you what.” 

“Are you threatening me?” the demon demanded. 

“You sure are cocky. Stupid, but I suppose I sort of like that. You can’t hurt me. I, on the other hand, can explode you into nothing into a matter of seconds. Please consider that the next time you speak.” 

That, at least, made the demon stop complaining. 

“Also, I wasn’t threatening you. You will help me get what I want and I swore I would do as I said. So I will. And I’ll try not to kill you,” he added, smiling pleasantly. 

The rest of the drive was quiet. Abner listened to NPR and tries to remind himself that he can be human. It had been easy to become human the first time. But it was apparently easy to be an angel again too. Like a bad habit you just slip back into. 

They arrived at a warehouse. Abner felt his breath hitch. He could feel Gadreel. Gadreel’s grace bled out, not so bad that he was dying or that he couldn’t recover, but someone had pressed into his Gadreel’s grace and was leaving more scars. 

He jumped out of the car and made for the door but that fast he felt Gadreel’s grace go flying by. He’d been thrown out of his vessel and clearly had gone in search of another. Abner followed the trail his eyes, trying to see which direction Gadreel was heading. It was purposeful anyway. Abner wanted to think that Gadreel could be ok, but he knew he wouldn’t be. 

“Get in there,” Abaddon said. 

“No,” Abner said. 

“What do you mean no?” she asked. He didn’t look at her. His eyes were on the trail that Gadreel had left. 

“My friend escaped. I don’t need your help.” 

“I see,” she said. 

There was a snick and then Abner felt a tight, binding pain, a pain he’d wanted to forget, the pain of being sealed. He reached up and tugged at the hard metal around his throat. He had to pull his hand back when they touched the binding sigils. 

“Well, I have to thank Crowley for something. He did leave this lovely little piece behind for me,” Abaddon said. 

Abner turned his gaze to her. Fear shot up in his veins. He panicked. He threw himself at her. It didn’t matter. She threw him back using her demonic abilities. He felt sharp pain in his head and then the world went black.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

"Winchester Troubles?" Metatron asked.

"Yes," Gadreel said. He reached up and rubbed his vessels neck. This man wasn't as spacious as Sam, but Gadreel didn't fit so badly that he'd bleed through. He'd healed a lot himself, being in Lucifer's vessel.

"And now you see why I told you to kill Dean Winchester," Metatron said. "Those two ended the end of the world. You can't underestimate them and if you have the advantage again, you take it a show no mercy."

"I will," Gadreel said. "Why did you give me Abner's name?"

"See see where your loyalties lied," Metatron said. "It won't be so bad if you didn't kill him, of course. Did you?"

"No," Gadreel said. "Castiel and Dean arrived before I made my decision."

"Understandable," Metatron said. "And you don't have to kill him."

"Thank you," Gadreel said with a heavy sigh. He walked around the bar. "So, what's next?"

* * *

Abner woke in terrible pain. He groaned and jerked, curling up to try and keep from receiving any more pain in the abdomen, only to find himself bound even tighter than he'd expected. He opened his eyes and slowly blinked into reality, only to find himself bound to a chair. He swallowed and tried not to panic.

Gadreel had taught him how to make himself like stone. Gadreel had been there the longest of any of them. Gadreel knew how to survive and he'd taught Abner what to do. Abner had a few people he cared for when before he'd only had Gadreel.

He focused on is attackers as they drew the angel blade from his stomach. The blonde woman who'd stabbed him at least knew how not to go too deep. She was only a demon. There were no angels that Abner could sense. As such, he did not believe they could make him talk.

"Ah, you're awake," the blonde said. "You made a very big mistake, not doing what Abaddon told you."

"She could not hold up her end of the bargain, so I had no reason to do as she said," Abner said. He grit his teeth when the woman thrust the blade back into his stomach.

"You don't ignore the Queen of Hell."

"I was alive when Lucifer was still in heaven. Nah, Abaddon doesn't have anything on him." Abner chuckled, which morphed into a groan when the woman shoved the blade in a little deeper.

"Don't speak about our Father that way," the woman hissed.

"I take it daddy didn't give you enough love in your childhood." He gasped as the blade sunk in more. She had gotten into his grace, not enough to kill him, but it would scar now.

"It's probably wise for you to shut up now." It was Adaddon. She'd apparently come in while Abner was trying to push past his pain.

"Probably," Abner said weakly. "I'm not going to help you."

"That's fine," Abaddon said. "I don't actually need you, but it's never a bad idea to keep one of you around, just in case."

"Perfect," Abner murmured. He couldn't help feeling the very painfully irony of it all. He'd just gotten out. He never stood up to torture, not like Gadreel could. But Gadreel wasn't here. But no, he wasn't going to wish that on anyone, especially not Gadreel. And Gadreel was safe, away from his kidnappers. So he was okay. It just turned out that Abner couldn't help Gadreel.

"Keep working him until he talks," Abaddon said and then left Abner alone with his torturer.

* * *

Gadreel gave it about a week before he went back to see Abner. He knew Abner didn't want to be part of heaven anymore. Gadreel thought maybe he could convince him otherwise, but he wasn't certain he wanted to. Abner was happy. Gadreel was glad for that.

But that didn't mean he could stay away.

He knocked on the door. A woman opened the door that Gadreel had seen in the pictures Abner had kept around his home.

"Who are you?" she asked.

"Are you Ab- ah, Alexander's wife?" Gadreel asked.

"Natalie," she said. "Who are you."

"My name's Gadreel. I'm an old friend of your husband's," he said.

"Gadreel?" a small voice asked. Natalie and Gadreel turned to see Delilah standing near Natalie's legs. "You look different," she said.

"Plastic surgery," Gadreel said. The girl nodded, accepting his answer. "I was here a week ago," he explained to Natalie. "Alexander invited me over for tea while you were away with your daughter at the theatre."

"Were you here?" Natalie asked. "Do you know where he'd gone?"

"What?" Gadreel asked.

Natalie ushered her daughter more inside and then went and got something. She returned the note Abner had written when he'd left. Gadreel went pale. Abner had gone for him, but Gadreel hadn't seen him at all. What if the Winchesters got him.

"The house was a mess when we got him," Natalie said. Her voice was strong though there was a wetness to her voice like she was trying to hold back tears.

"He went to get me," Gadreel said softly. "But I never saw him… I swear to you that I will find hi mand bring him home," he told her. He handed her the note back.

"Do you know where he is?" Natalie asked quietly.

"There are some possibilities."

"He's just been so good lately," Natalie said, tears coming to her eyes. "He was so awful before, but he's been kind and loving, like a totally different person. But he never ran off before, when I wished he'd go. And now that I want him here he leaves."

"I was in trouble," Gadreel said. "And he went to help me. I think I might know where he is. He'd a good man. I'll make certain he returns. Have faith, he would never leave you. He loves you very much."

"Are you certain you can get him?" she asked.

"I swear," Gadreel said. He reached out and awkwardly squeezed her shoulder before he let his hand drop. He turned and walked away. He had to find Abner.


	3. Chapter 3

It turned out, finding Gadreel was a lot easier than they thought. Cas had dug into Sam’s skull for no reason. It was nice to have the essence of Gadreel out of him. But Gadreel simply showed up and walked right into the bunker. 

“Where are you keeping him?” Gadreel demanded. He had his angel blade drawn, but it didn’t take long for Cas and Sam to do the same. 

“Keeping who?” Cas demanded. 

“Abner, where are you keeping him?” Gadreel hissed, moving toward them slowly. 

“Abner?” Castiel asked, confusion in his voice. “Abner also broke out?” 

“Everyone fell,” Gadreel snapped. “Everyone one, and everyone’s here, who survived anyway.” 

“That doesn’t matter,” Sam snapped back. This was the angel who’d stolen his consent. It was laughable to think that Lucifer had cared more about actually getting a real yes when no other angel had. But this one had stolen his body and used it to kill Kevin.

“Where is he? He came after me when you abducted me, and he hasn’t been seen since. So where is he?” 

Sam felt Cas pause next to him. When he spoke his voice was much more calm than anything Sam thought he could do. Sam’s respect for Cas kicked up a notch then. “Gadreel, we never saw Abner. I had no idea that Abner was even alive. I thought he died seven hundred years.” 

Gadreel let out a laugh that was not at all human, in fact it was much more animal. “Of course they would say that. Abner spent those seven hundred years in a cell next to me, being tortured. Now he’s out and he’s got a new life and he walked right back into all of this. He doesn’t deserve to be a part of this, so let him go.” 

“We don’t have him,” Cas said very gently. “We don’t have anyone. The only people in the Bunker are the three of us.” 

Gadreel paused. “He’s really not here.” 

“He’s really not here,” Cas said. 

Gadreel lowered his weapon and he sounded to laugh, but it sounded panicked. Disbelief and fear mixed in Gadreel’s voice. If Sam didn’t hate him with everything in him, he would have felt bad for the guy. 

“You didn’t even know he was alive,” Gadreel said. “He’s not here and I none of us have any idea where he is.” 

“We can help you find him,” Cas said. 

“Cas!” Sam nearly shouted. “Are you crazy?” 

“We will help you, for a price,” Cas said. 

“No,” Gadreel said coldly.

“If any other angels find him they’ll kill him and not ask questions,” Cas said. 

That seemed to make Gadreel freeze. Gadreel was silent for a full minute. Sam kept his blade up, just in case Gadreel did something, but truthfully, Sam didn’t think he would. Most people had weaknesses. If Abner was Gadreel’s weakness, then they could work with that. 

“Alright,” Gadreel said. 

“Alright,” Cas said. 

“I take it I’m your prisoner now?” Gadreel asked. 

“That was sort of a given from when you first busted in here,” Sam said. 

“Not necessarily,” Gadreel said. He completely lowered his blade. 

“You will also tell us where we can find Metatron,” Cas said. 

“And you’ll help us catch him,” Sam added quickly. 

“That I cannot do,” Gadreel said quickly. 

“You were inside me,” Sam said. “You know that I dragged Lucifer and Michael down into Hell myself. Don’t think for a second that I can’t do what I say I can do. If you turn us down now we will find Abner and when we do, we’ll kill him ourselves.” 

“You can’t,” Gadreel protested, eyes flashing. He raised his blade. 

“I can,” Sam said. “Besides, you told us he was in angel jail next to you. Obviously Heaven thought whatever he did was as bad as letting Lucifer into Eden. And if every angel wants to kill you, what makes Abner any different. Maybe it would be better to kill him.” 

“No!” Gadreel said. He dropped his blade. “I’ll help you catch Metatron. But please, Abner is good. He never deserved the torment he received. He has a family, a human family who asked me to bring him home. He’s assimilated. He loves his family. He doesn’t deserve to be part of this.” 

Sam considered it for a moment. “Alright, we’ll make sure he gets home, and some anti-angel warding for his home, himself and his family. But you’ll do what we say. And you should know that I will kill you when this is over.” 

Gadreel tensed and glared at him. Cas walked to him and picked the angel blade off the floor. 

“What do you say?” Cas asked. 

“Alright,” Gadreel said softly. 

“Okay,” Sam said. “Cas, take him down to the dungeon.” 

“What are you going to do?” Cas asked, starting to lead Gadreel away. 

“I’m going to call Dean,” Sam said a bit reluctantly. 

“Are you?” Cas asked. Sam couldn’t miss the happy note in his voice. 

“Yes. We’re going to need him.” Sam pulled out his phone. He waited until Cas and Gadreel were gone. Then he quickly called Dean. He didn’t want to give him time to talk himself out of it. 

“Sam?” Sam heard Dean’s voice and the surprise and hope and Sam’s anger flared. 

“Dean, I need you to come back. I have a job I need you for,” Sam said.


End file.
